Manually actuated and electrically operated rotatable drum chance device and saving bank

ABSTRACT

A toy amusement machine and saving bank operable by disposing a disc-like object therein, and pulling an operating lever so that a plurality of indicia carrying drums are rotated by an electric motor and then depressing push-buttons causing an associated brake to stop corresponding ones of said drums and then again depressing the push-button for drums showing winning indicia to rock frame members having extensions enterable into notches in the drums to operate mechanism which will discharge a predetermined number of disc-like objects from the machine.

United States Patent 1191 Ohki [ MANUALLY ACTUATED AND ELECTRICALLY OPERATED ROTATABLE DRUM CHANCE DEVICE AND SAVING BANK [75] Inventor: Haruo Ohlti, Tokyo, Japan [73] Assignee: Yoshie Ito, Tokyo, Japan; a part interest 22 Filed: Oct. 6, 1911 211 App]. No.: 186,951

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 16, 1971 Japan 46/14055 1521 Us. Cl. 273/143 R, 46/3 511 1111. CL; A631 5/04 [58] Field of Search 46/2, 3, 4, 5; 273/143 R, 143 A, 143 B, 143 C, 143 D, 143 v I E [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1451 July 24, 1973 9/1937 Macourek 273/143 R 2/1971 Matsumoto 273/143 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 7,906 6/1932 Australia 273/143 R Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Arnold W. Kramer Attorney-Linton & Linton [57] ABSTRACT A toy amusement machine and saving bank operable by disposing a disc-like object therein, and pulling an operating lever so that a plurality of indicia carrying drums are rotated by an electric motor and then depressing push-buttons causing an associated brake to stop corresponding ones of said drums and then again depressing the push-button for drums showing winning indicia to rock frame members having extensions enterable into notches in the drums to operate mechanism which will discharge a predetermined number of disclike objects from the machine.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENIEBJULZMQH SHEEI 1 0F 2 FIG.1

INVENTOR. HflRuo OHKI BY M w ATTORNEYS Pmmnuw 3. 747, 93s

SHEET 2 0F 2 126R 126C 129 126L Fl 6.4 129 I N VEN TOR.

HHRUO OHKI MANUALLY ACTUATED AND ELECTRICALLY OPERATED ROTATABLE DRUM CHANCE DEVICE AND SAVING BANK This invention relates to improvements in and relating to a toy amusement machine which operates in response to the deposition therein of a suitable disc-like object and also serves a role of a toy saving bank.

It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a toy amusement machinewhich provides an incentive for the user to save money, while he enjoys playing the machine.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide an improved toy amusement machine which is simple in design and construction including a mechanism to prohibit unfair manipulation of the machine.

Other objects and features of advantage of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. is a perspective view of a toy saving bank or machine which embodies the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a set of interior components of the machine including a disc delivery chute, a drum actuating mechanism and a disc collecting compartment;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a disc discharge mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a back elevational view, partly sectional, of a series of display drums and associated components;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a push button mechanism and other operating components employed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a view schematically illustrating a motor circuit switch as'associated with a crank mechanism and a pushbutton.

Referring now to the drawings and FIG. 1 in particular, there is shown an amusement machine or toy bank 100 which embodies the invention. The machine 100 includes a housing 101 formed by a front panel plate 102 and a back cover plate 103. The front panel plate 102 is provided with a plurality of display windows 104 to expose to view the various combinations of symbols hereafter described. The plate 102 is also provided with a plurality of pushbuttons 105C, 105L, and 105R adapted to be depressed so as to successively stop the display drums hereinafter described. The number of these windows corresponds to the number of display Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a disc delivery chute 112 with one end extending to the disc deposition slit 106 and with the other end tying into a vertical chute 113. Thiis latter chute has its upper end opening into the slit 107 and its lower and opening into a cylindrical disc collecting compartment 114. The vertical chute 113 is further provided with a side opening 115 drums hereinafter described. The number of these push-buttons also corrresponds to the number of said windows, viz. the number of said drums.

There is provided a disc deposition slit 106 formed in the upper end portion of the front plate 102 for the deposition of discs into the machine, which slit extends into a disc delivery chute hereinafter described. There is provided a similar slit 107 in the upper section of the back cover plate 103 for depositing the discs into a disc collecting compartment hereinafter described, irrelative to the operation of the machine. Forwardly projecting from the lower end of the front panel plate 102 is a disc pick-up plate 108 for receiving from an opening 109 a predetermined amount of discs each time the winning symbols appear in the windows 104.

Designated at 110 is an operating handle for actuating the drums and attached to one end of a shaft 111 (FIG. 2) extending between and pivotally connected to the sides of a machine frame (not shown).

through which to transfer discs D which have been accumulated in excess of the capacity of the compartment 114, into a disc saving chamber 116 designated by chain-dotted line in FIG. 2.

There is shown a retaining means 117 which comprises a vertical leg 118, a tab 119 extending horizontally from the upper end of the leg 118 and normally closing the upper open end 112. of the chute 112 and a pawl 120 projecting from the lower end of the leg 1 18 for engagement with a cam member later described. At the other end of the shaft 111 opposite to the handle 110, there is attached a pusher plate 121 for abutting engagement with a crank arm later described. Also attached on the shaft 111 is a cam member l22which is recessedto define a reduced portion 123 engageable with the pawl 120 of the retaining means 117. There taining means 117 is loaded by means of a spring 124 in a direction to urge the tab 119 to abut against and close over the open end 112' of the chut 112 and to engage the pawl 120 with the reduced portion 123 thereby retaining the cam 122 and thus handle 110 in locked position.

Two opposite stops 125 are provided in the path of movement of the cam 122 to limit the movement of the same.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there are shown a series of display drums 126C, 126L and 126R mounted for frictional rotation on a common shaft 127 which is journalled for rotation between the sides of the housing 101. These drums are provided on their respective surfaces at circumferentially spaced positions with various combinations of symbols 128 such as for example pictures, letters, numerals and the like, certain of which symbols are pre-selected as winning symbols in a manner similar to jack pots. The symbols 128 are successively viewable through the windows 104 as the drums rotate. Each drum is provided peripherally with notches 129 at predetermined positions for engagement with a hook later described. Each of said drums has also coupled thereto an indexing wheel 130 engageable with a braking element later described.

As shown in FIG. 1, there are provided as many pushbuttons 105C, 105L and 105R as there are drums for stopping the drums in a manner hereinafter described. Each push-button is opertively associated, as better shown in FIG. 5 for push-button 105L, as an example, with a crank member 131. Each of said push-buttons are provided with a flange 133 and a ledge 134, and it is loaded by means of a spring 135 in an outward direction to bring the flange 133 into abutting engagement with the wall of the front panel-plate 102. The crank member 131 is supported on a pin 136 for pivotal movement therewith and has a lateral projection 137 engageable with the ledge 134 of the push-button 1051. and a dog-leg bottom portion 138 disposed for abutting engagement with the pusher plate 121. The pin 136 also carries thereon a braking element 139 which has a hook 140 engageable with the indexing wheel 130.

When the machine is held inoperative, all the pushbuttons 126R, 126C and 126L are each depressed to a position wherein the ledge 134 underlines the lateral projection 137, as shown in FIG. 6, thereby to lock the push-button in position against the loading of the spring 135. Now, as a disc D is placed in the slit 106, the disc lifts the tab 119 away from the chute 112 to a position wherein the pawl 120 is disengaged from the reduced portion 123 of the cam 122 so that the handle 110 is freed for rotation by hand. With the retaining means 117 thus held in lifted position by the disc, the handle 110 is rotated clock-wise as viewed in FIG. 5 and so does the cam 122 further lifting the retaining means 117 on the rounded periphery of said disc to a position wherein the disc D is released from the tab 119 and delivered by gravity down the chute 112 and into the disc collecting compartment 1 14. With rotation of the handie, the pusher plate 121 also rotates clockwise against the loading of a spring 141 to a position wherein the plate 121 abuts against the dog-leg portion 138 of the crank 131 and causes this crank to rotate against the loading of a spring 142 to a position indicated by chaindot line in FIG. 5. Thus, clockwise rotation of the crank 131 disengages the braking element 139 from the indexing wheel 130 and at the same time, closes a motor circuit switch S schematically shown in FIG. 6, which switch is operatively associated preferably only with one of the three cranks 131, viz. the one associated with the push button 105R assigned to drum 126R. The rotation of the crank 131 also disengages the projection 137 from the ledge 134, whereupon the push-button 105 is brought back to normal position under the influence of the spring 135. In this position, the forward end 137. of the projection 137 registers with and is brought into abutment to the forward end 134' of the ledge 134 by the return action of the spring 142. This end-to-end abutting engagement of the projection 137 and ledge 134 retains the crank 131 in a set position indicated by chain-dot line in FIG. 5 and also the switch S in closed state regardless of the return of the handle 110 to its upright position which is effected by the return action of the spring 141 connected to the pusher plate 121. Thus, with the switch S closed, the motor M is actuated to drive the drum shaft 127 through a transmission unit T of a conventional design thereby rotating the drums 126 all at the same time.

There are shown, in FIGS. 4 and 5, a first operating frame member 132a and a second operating frame member 1321:, both rotatably mounted on a shaft 143 extending between the sides of machine frame (not shown). The first frame member 132a is provided with two hooks 144L and 144C respectively positioned in alignment with one peripheral edges of the drums 126L and 126C and engageable with the notches 129 therein. The first frame member 132a is also provided with an arm 145 extending subjacent the flange 133 of the center push-button 105C and with a leg 146 held in abutting relation to a disc discharge lever 147. The second operating frame member 132b is provided with a hook 144R for engagement with the notches 129 in the drum 126R, and also an arm similar to the arm 145 but extending subjacent the flange 133 of the right-hand push-button 105R. The second frame member 132b is separably connected to the first frame member 132a by means of a flap 148 projecting from the first member 1320 into the path of movement of the second member 132k.

As shown in FIG. 3, disc discharge lever 147 is provided with a circular recess 149 normally communicating with an open bottom of the cylindrical disc collecting compartment 114 and designed to receive a predetermined number of discs. The lever 147 is rotatable about a pin 150 against the loading of a spring 151 for discharging the discs through a discharge channel 152 and opening 109 out to the pick-up plate 108.

Now, in the overall operation of the machine, assume that it is in the set position as already described and all drums 126L, 126C and 126R are in rotation, with the respective braking elments 139 disengaged from the indexing wheels 130 and with all push-buttons 105L, 105C and 105R held in retracted position. The pushbutton 105L is first depressed whereupon the abutting engagement of this push-button with its associated crank 131 as at their respective forward ends 134' and 137 is released. The crank 131 thus being released from the push-button 105L rotates counter-clockwise as viewed in FIG. 5, under the influence of the spring 142 so as to engage the hook with the indexing wheel 130 and stop the drum 126L, exposing the symbols 128 to view through the window 104. The center push-button 105C is then depressed in a similar manner to stop the drum 126C associated therewith. This is followed by depressing the push-button 105R to stop the last drum 126R, whereupon the switch S is opened and the motor M stopped. In this instance, if the symbols 128 on drums 126L and 126C that have appeared in the respective windows are pre-selected winning symbols, the center push-button 105C is again depressed against the arm 145 thereby to rotate the first operating frame member 132a clockwise until the hooks 1441. and 144C respectively engage the notches 129 of drums 126L and 126C, respectively, whereupon the leg 146 of the frame member 132a is pressed against the disc discharge lever 147, rotating the same to discharge a predetermined number of discs D to the pick-up plate 108. If the symbols 128 on drum 126R are also winning symbols, the push-button 105R is depressed in a similar manner so as to discharge additional discs.

Having thus described the invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the construction and form herein advanced as obvious to those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A chance amusement machine comprising a housing having a plurality of viewing windows; a corresponding plurality of indicia bearing drums frictionally rotatable on a drum shaft rotatably supported in said housing, each drum having an indexing wheel and being peripherally aligned with a respective one of said windows with a periphery of each drum having a plurality of spaced notches therein; a plurality of rockable braking means each noramlly engaging a respective indexing wheel; pusher plate means rigidly mounted on a lever controlled shaft rotatably mounted in said housing for rocking said braking means out of engagement with said indexing wheels when manually actuated; a disc operated mechanism normally connected to and restraining said lever controlled shaft from actuation until released therefrom by insertion of a disc; a corresponding plurality of biased push-button means slideably mounted through said housing, each said pushbutton means being biased into a position holding a respective braking means out of engagement with its index wheel when said lever controlled shaft is actuated and released; a switch controlled electric motor for turning said drum shaft, said switch being closed by one of said braking means being held out of engagement with its index wheel by its respective push-button means and said switch being opened to stop said motor when said one of said push-button means is manually actuated so as to release its respective braking means for indexing its drum; a disc discharge mechanism; a plurality of operating frame members pivotally mounted in said housing, said frame members having extensions thereon for possibly entering said notches in said drums when rocked thereagainst through further manual actuation of said push-button means after indexing said drums, one of said frame members being rocked by at least one of said push-button means to operate said disc discharge mechanism if the extensions associated therewith enter the associated notches, and at least one other of said frame members being capable of being pivoted by another of said push-button means dependent upon the associated extensions and notches, with the pivoting of said at least one other frame member further pivoting said one of said frame members to thereby actuate said disc discharge mechanism.

3. An amusement machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said disc operated mechanism consists of a.

notched cam fixedly mounted on said lever controlled shaft, an open top chute for partially receiving a disc at a time, a leg having a lateral end normally on said chute open top until raised by a disc in'said chute and an op- 10 jection. whereby said hook is held from said toothed wheel until said push-button means is depressed moving its ledge below said crank projection and resilient means tending to hold said push-button means with its ledge in end abuttment with said crank projection.

4. An amusement machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said disc discharge mechanism includes a collecting compartment connected to said chute for receiving discs therefrom and having an opening in the bottom thereof, a lever pivotally connected to said compartment and having an opening capable of being in alignment with said compartment opening, resilient means tending to retain said lever with its opening out of alignment with said compartment opening and said lever being positioned for being engaged by said one of said frame members and pivoted thereby positioning said openings in alignement to discharge discs from said compartment. 

1. A chance amusement machine comprising a housing having a plurality of viewing windows; a corresponding plurality of indicia bearing drums frictionally rotatable on a drum shaft rotatably supported in said housing, each drum having an indexing wheel and being peripherally aligned with a respective one of said windows with a periphery of each drum having a plurality of spaced notches therein; a plurality of rockable braking means each noramlly engaging a respective indexing wheel; pusher plate means rigidly mounted on a lever controlled shaft rotatably mounted in said housing for rocking said braking means out of engagement with said indexing wheels when manually actuated; a disc operated mechanism normally connected to and restraining said lever controlled shaft from actuation until released therefrom by insertion of a disc; a corresponding plurality of biased push-button means slideably mounted through said housing, each said push-button means being biased into a position holding a respective braking means out of engagement with its index wheel when said lever controlled shaft is actuated and released; a switch controlled electric motor for turning said drum shaft, said switch being closed by one of said braking means being held out of engagement with its index wheel by its respective pushbutton means and said switch being opened to stop said motor when said one of said push-button means is manually actuated so as to release its respective braking means for indexing its drum; a disc discharge mechanism; a plurality of operating frame members pivotally mounted in said housing, said frame members having extensions thereon for possibly entering said notches in said drums when rocked thereagainst through further manual actuation of said push-button means after indexing said drums, one of said frame members being rocked by at least one of said push-button means to operate said disc discharge mechanism if the extensions associated therewith enter the associated notches, and at least one other of said frame members being capable of being pivoted by another of said push-button means dependent upon the associated extensions and notches, with the pivoting of said at least one other frame member further pivoting saiD one of said frame members to thereby actuate said disc discharge mechanism.
 2. An amusement machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said braking means each consists of a pivotally mounted crank having a hook on one end positioned by engaging and preventing rotation of its respective indexing wheel, a projection on said crank, a corresponding one of said push-button means having a ledge positioned for end abuttment at times with said crank projection whereby said hook is held from said toothed wheel until said push-button means is depressed moving its ledge below said crank projection and resilient means tending to hold said push-button means with its ledge in end abuttment with said crank projection.
 3. An amusement machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said disc operated mechanism consists of a notched cam fixedly mounted on said lever controlled shaft, an open top chute for partially receiving a disc at a time, a leg having a lateral end normally on said chute open top until raised by a disc in said chute and an opposite lateral end normally in said cam notch retaining rotation of said lever controlled shaft.
 4. An amusement machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said disc discharge mechanism includes a collecting compartment connected to said chute for receiving discs therefrom and having an opening in the bottom thereof, a lever pivotally connected to said compartment and having an opening capable of being in alignment with said compartment opening, resilient means tending to retain said lever with its opening out of alignment with said compartment opening and said lever being positioned for being engaged by said one of said frame members and pivoted thereby positioning said openings in alignement to discharge discs from said compartment. 